Lock attachment for audio-visual connector

ABSTRACT

The combination of an electronic connector plug and an attached locking clip, wherein the connector comprises a cable, a plug housing surrounding one end of the cable, and a plug supported in the housing, such that the plug extends from the front of the housing and is electrically connected through the housing to the cable. The clip surrounds the housing and can be locked onto an electrical component by a lock screw such that the advancing screw also urges a clamp against the housing thereby securing the plug into the jack of the component. The electrical component is preferably an audio-visual (AV) device having an HDMI socket.

BACKGROUND

This is a regular application claiming the benefit under 35 U.S.C.119(e) of U.S. Provisional App. No. 61/275,417 filed Aug. 28, 2009 for“Lock Attachment for Audio-Visual Connector”.

With the advent of HD TV, the HDMI (High-Definition MultimediaInterface) connector is now in common use as a compact audio/videointerface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. This connector ishaving increased use as a means of digital interconnection betweenconsumer electronics products such as digital audio/video (AV) sourcesto compatible system components such as digital audio devices, computermonitors, and digital televisions.

Conventional HDMI connectors (FIG. 1) lack an effective locking featureto hold the connector plug into a socket. As a result of thisdeficiency, plugs can easily slip out of sockets.

This is a significant problem in the custom home theater, audio, videoand residential electronic systems installation industry. The cables areheavy and the lack of effective locking features robust enough to keepthe standard plug in place may result in a plug becoming dislodged fromits socket. Disconnection of the HDMI interface is a very commonoccurrence and results in total loss of video and audio. Most HDMIconnectors are of the conventional type, and the problem of disconnectis prevalent in both the currently installed and future user base.

Recently, a number of HDMI equipment manufacturers have added a threadedscrew receptacle R above the HDMI socket, as shown in FIG. 2. With theaddition of this threaded receptacle feature, specialty HDMI cables thatfeature connectors with an integrated locking screw mechanism S may beused to secure the plug to the socket (see FIG. 3).

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a clip that slipsover a standard HDMI connector, and imparts a locking feature that isfunctionally similar to the locked plug shown in FIG. 3.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to the combination of alocking clip attached to a standard connector of the type shown in FIG.1, thereby providing a functionality similar to the plug with integratedlock as shown in FIG. 3.

In a broader aspect the invention is directed to a locking clip for anytype of electronic connector, comprising an elongated base having athrough bore, a substantially tubular sleeve having sidewalls extendingdownwardly from the base and defining a hollow space having alongitudinal axis, and a clamp cantilevered from the base and includinga substantially tubular collar substantially coaxially aligned with thetubular sleeve. A locking screw is insertable in the through bore,having a threaded front end and a shoulder spaced rearward and adaptedto engage and push on the base.

Preferably, the through bore includes a socket at the front end, amounting screw having a nut portion insertable in the socket and athreaded front end extending in front of the base, whereby the front endof the locking screw engages the nut of the mounting screw when theshoulder of the locking screw engages the base.

In another broad aspect, the invention is directed to the combination ofan electronic connector plug and an attached locking clip, wherein theconnector comprises a cable, a plug housing surrounding one end of thecable, and a plug supported in the housing, such that the plug extendsfrom the front of the housing and is electrically connected through thehousing to the cable. The clip surrounds the housing and can be lockedonto an electrical component by a lock screw such that the advancingscrew also urges a clamp against the housing thereby securing the pluginto the jack of the component. The electrical component is preferablyan audio-visual (AV) device having an HDMI socket.

Preferably, the back end of the housing forms a thrust shoulder with thecable and the locking clip at least partially surrounds the housing. Theclip includes a base with a through bore offset from and parallel withthe extension of the plug. The base has a back end that defines anotherthrust shoulder. A clamp extends rearward beyond the back of the housingand has a clamp shoulder confronting the thrust shoulder of the housing.The locking screw is insertable in the through bore, having a threadedfront end and a screw shoulder spaced rearward of and adapted to engageand push on the thrust surface of the base when the locking screw isadvanced directly or indirectly into a threaded receiving bore in an AVcomponent facing the front of the housing, thereby also positioning orurging the clamp shoulder at or against the thrust shoulder of thehousing.

The clamp is preferably a circular but open collar that snaps over thecable and rests against or bears on the back of the connector housing,preventing unintentional disconnection of the connector once the lockingscrew is connected to the AV component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an oblique end view of a conventional HDMI cable and connectorplug;

FIG. 2 is a view of a conventional HDMI jack on an AV component, with anoptional adjacent threaded bore for receiving and locking an HDMI plugwith integrated locking boss and screw;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing an HDMI plug with integratedlocking boss, secured to the HDMI jack;

FIG. 4 is an oblique side view of a clip embodiment of the presentinvention, for use with a conventional HDMI cable and plug such as shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the clip of FIG. 5, with the mounting andlocking screws withdrawn for clarity;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section view similar to FIG. 5, with thelocking screw in the clip;

FIG. 7 is longitudinal section view of the assembled cable, plug, andclip; and

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the assembled cable, plug, and clip accordingto FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 4-6 show an embodiment of a locking clip assembly, having thebasic elements of a clip 12 comprising an elongated base 14, asubstantially tubular sleeve having sidewalls 16 a, 16 b extendingdownwardly from the base and defining a hollow space 18 having alongitudinal axis, and a clamp 20 extending from the base and includinga substantially tubular collar 22 substantially coaxially aligned withthe tubular sleeve. In the intended usage, the base 14 will be at thetop, with the two half-sleeves 16 a, 16 b having sufficient flexibilityradially of the axis, to permit the sleeve to deformably slip over andthen return to engage the housing of the AV connector, which will befurther described below. Likewise, the clamp, in this case the collar22, is similarly a substantial cylinder except for an open slot at thebottom, which permits the collar to be slid over the cable with orwithout deformation.

Preferably, the clamp 20 is cantilevered, as by a downwardly inclinedweb 24, from the base 14, but exact coaxial alignment between the sleeve16 and the collar 22 is not necessary at all times when the clip isattached to the cable and connector, because some accommodation can beafforded by the inherent flexibility of the web 24.

In use, a thumbscrew 26 extends into a through bore 28 of the base,whereby the threaded tip of the thumbscrew directly or indirectlyengages a threaded receptacle above the HDMI socket in the AV component(as shown in FIG. 2). Although a single thumbscrew 26 can be used forthis purpose, it is preferred that a separate mounting screw 30 bethreaded into the receptacle on the AV component, and that thethumbscrew 26 be advanced into the mounting screw 30. The base 14 has aback side which presents an external shoulder 32 around the through bore28 and an internal shoulder 34 in the through bore. At the front of thebase 14, a socket 36 has an internal profile adapted to receive theexternal profile 38 of the mounting screw 30. The externally threadedscrew portion 40 of the mounting screw 30 can be threaded into thereceptacle on the AV component, whereas the threaded front or noseportion 42 of the thumbscrew can be threaded into the internal threadsof the nut portion 38. The thumbscrew typically has a first shankportion 44 extending rearward from the threaded nose 42, a firstshoulder 46 associated with a second shank portion 48, and a secondshoulder 50 at the front of the enlarged thumb knob 52. Preferably, theback end of the thumbscrew includes a slot 54 by which a tool canfurther tighten or loosen the thumbscrew. The thumbscrew is similar toconventional thumbscrews used with AV equipment.

Preferably, the relationships of the dimensions are such that when thethumbscrew 26 is advanced within the through bore 28, the shoulder 50bears against the thrust surface provided by external shoulder 32 afterthe nose 42 has been advanced well into the nut 38, but before hitting alimit position within the nut.

With further reference to FIG. 6 in particular, it may be seen that thethrough bore 28 has a relatively larger diameter portion 56 immediatelyadjacent the socket 36, and an adjacent, relatively smaller diameterportion 58, thereby forming an internal shoulder. In this manner, thethumbscrew 26 can be pulled back with the threads 42 withdrawn into thelarger diameter bore portion 56 while stopped at the shoulder with boreportion 58 during the initial engagement of the connector and clip withthe AV component socket and the nut portion 38 of the installed mountingscrew 30, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the combination of clip assembly andconnector assembly. The connector assembly comprises a cable 60, a plughousing or shell 62 surrounding one end of the cable, and a plug 64supported in the housing such that the plug extends from the front ofthe housing and is electrically connected, such as via conductor 66,through the housing to a conductor in the cable. The back end 68 of thehousing forms a shoulder relative to the diameter of the cable 60. Thebase 14 of the clip 12 has a rearwardly extending clamp including collar22 which surrounds at least some of the cable 60 and has an internalshoulder 70 which abuts the shoulder 68 at the back of the housing.

As previously described, with the mounting screw 30 already installed inthe AV component and the thumbscrew 26 withdrawn so that the threads 42are in the region 56 of the bore (see FIG. 6), the assembly as shown inFIG. 7 is advanced into the socket of the AV component such that theplug portion 64 is fully within the socket and the nut portion 38 of themounting screw 30 is captured within the profile of the recess 36 at thefront of the clip. The thumbscrew is then advanced such that the threads42 engage the internal threads of the nut 38 and eventually cause theshoulder 50 on the thumbscrew to bear against the thrust surface 32 ofthe base 14 which in turn urges the collar 22 against another thrustsurface provided by the shoulder 70. This secures the entire assemblyinto the AV component.

FIG. 8 illustrates the condition shown in FIG. 7 where the half-sleevessurround the housing and the collar surrounds the cable around at leastabout 180° span, such that the collar is positioned to engage or providea stop surface at the back shoulder of the housing.

It should be appreciated that although the invention has been describedwith respect to HDMI plug connectors, the inventive concept isapplicable to all types of AV connectors.

1. An electronic signal connector comprising in combination: a connectorassembly including a cable, a plug housing surrounding one end of thecable and having a front and a back, wherein the back of the housingforms a housing thrust shoulder with the cable, and a plug supported inthe housing, such that the plug extends from the front of the housingand is electrically connected through the housing to the cable; and alocking clip at least partially surrounding the housing, and including abase with through bore offset from and parallel with the extension ofthe plug, wherein said base has a front end and a back, wherein the backend defines a clip thrust shoulder and a clamp extends rearward beyondthe back of the housing and has a shoulder confronting the housingthrust shoulder, wherein the clamp includes a collar spaced behind thebase and cantilevered from the base and the shoulder of the clamp is onsaid collar.
 2. The connector of claim 1, including a locking screw thatcan be advanced in the through bore, having a threaded front end and ashoulder spaced rearward from and adapted to engage and push on the clipthrust surface when the locking screw is advanced into a threadedreceiving bore in an electronics component facing the front of thehousing, thereby also urging the shoulder of the clamp against thehousing thrust shoulder.
 3. The connector of claim 2, wherein: asubstantially tubular sleeve having sidewalls extends downwardly fromthe base and partially surrounds the housing; and the collar issubstantially tubular and substantially coaxially aligned with thetubular sleeve.
 4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the sleeve and thecollar are deformable expandable about the axis.
 5. The connector ofclaim 1, including a locking screw that can be advanced in the throughbore, having a threaded front end and a shoulder spaced rearward of andadapted to engage and push on the clip thrust surface.
 6. The connectorof claim 5, wherein the through bore includes a socket at the front endof the base; a mounting screw has a nut portion insertable in the socketand a threaded front end projecting from the front end of the base; andthe front end of the locking screw engages the nut of the mounting screwwhen the shoulder of the locking screw engages the clip thrust surface.7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the collar is cantilevered from thebase with an angled, flexible web.
 8. The connector of claim 1, whereinthe connector is an audio-visual signal connector.
 9. The connector ofclaim 2, wherein the plug is an HDMI plug.
 10. The connector of claim 3,wherein the plug is an HDMI plug.
 11. (canceled)
 12. The locking clip ofclaim 17, wherein the sleeve and the collar are deformably expandableabout the axis.
 13. The locking clip of claim [[11]] 17, including alocking screw insertable in the through bore, having a threaded frontend and a shoulder spaced rearward and adapted to engage and push on thethrust surface of the base.
 14. The locking clip of claim 13, whereinthe through bore includes a socket at the front end; a mounting screwhas a nut portion insertable in the socket and a threaded front endextending in front of the base; and the front end of the locking screwengages the nut of the mounting screw when the shoulder of the lockingscrew engages the thrust surface of the base.
 15. (canceled) 16.(canceled)
 17. An electronic signal connector comprising in combination:a connector assembly including a cable, a plug housing surrounding oneend of the cable and having a front and a back, wherein the back of thehousing forms a housing thrust shoulder with the cable, and a plugsupported in the housing, such that the plug extends from the front ofthe housing and is electrically connected through the housing to thecable; a locking clip at least partially surrounding the housing, andincluding a base with through bore offset from and parallel with theextension of the plug, wherein said base has a front end and a back,wherein the back end defines a clip thrust shoulder and a clamp extendsrearward beyond the back of the housing and has a shoulder confrontingthe housing thrust shoulder; a locking screw that can be advanced in thethrough bore, having a threaded front end and a shoulder spaced rearwardof and adapted to engage and push on the clip thrust surface; whereinthe through bore includes a socket at the front end of the base; amounting screw has a nut portion insertable in the socket and a threadedfront end projecting from the front end of the base; the front end ofthe locking screw engages the nut of the mounting screw when theshoulder of the locking screw engages the clip thrust surface; and theclamp includes a substantially tubular collar defining the shoulder ofthe clamp and the collar is spaced behind the base and cantilevered fromthe base with an angled, flexible web.
 18. A locking clip for anelectronic connector, comprising: an elongated base having front andback ends with a through bore and a thrust surface around the throughbore at the back end; a substantially tubular sleeve having sidewallsextending downwardly from the base and defining a hollow space having alongitudinal axis; and a clamp extending from the base and including asubstantially tubular collar substantially coaxially aligned with thetubular sleeve; wherein the collar is spaced behind the base andcantilevered from the base with an angled, flexible web.
 19. The lockingclip of claim 18, wherein the sleeve and the collar are expandable aboutthe axis; a locking screw is captured in the through bore, having athreaded front end and a shoulder spaced rearward and adapted to engageand push on the thrust surface of the base; the through bore includes asocket at the front end; a mounting screw has a nut portion insertablein the socket and a threaded front end extending in front of the base;and the front end of the locking screw engages the nut of the mountingscrew when the shoulder of the locking screw engages the thrust surfaceof the base.